The invention relates to a modular-construction vacuum-coating system with a plurality of functional chambers which are arranged one behind the other along a longitudinal extent in which substrates are moved through the chambers in a substrate transport region.
Vacuum-coating systems are defined by functional and physical division.
The physical division defines a visible configuration of a vacuum-coating system. The physical configuration does not necessarily correspond to the functional configuration.
The parts of the physical division of a vacuum-coating system 1 are system chambers 2 and sections 3, such as are illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. To distinguish between the physical and the functional division, the (physical) chambers are designated as system chambers 2.
A structural unit connected in a materially integral way and containing stiffening elements 4 is designated as a system chamber 2 of a vacuum-coating system. Connected to the stiffening elements 4 are wallings 5 which enclose a vacuum space 6. The wallings 5 are formed from a chamber floor, chamber walls and a chamber ceiling. A walling 5 may also be formed from a cover laid on a sealing surface.
The stiffening elements 4 of the system chamber 2 may lie inside the vacuum space 6, as illustrated in FIG. 1. At least part of the system chamber 2 then consequently projects into the vacuum space 6.
Correspondingly, solutions are also known in which the system chamber 2 constitutes a structural unit as a kind of “skeleton” which dispenses with stiffening elements 4 in the vacuum space since these are arranged outside the vacuum space 6.
A plurality of system chambers 2 are conventionally connectable to one another by means of releasable connections, usually via chamber flanges. Each system chamber 2 can then have a dedicated vacuum space. The vacuum of vacuum spaces adjacent to one another may also merge one into the other and consequently form a unit.
A portion which is delimited by walls 7 fastened in the vacuum space 6 transversely to the longitudinal extent of the vacuum-coating system and which is located inside a vacuum space 6 is designated as a section 3.
Insofar as essentially one function is performed in a section 3, the sections may also be designated by the designation of this function for which they mainly serve, such as process section, pumping section, coating section or the like.
The functional division describes a configuration, determined by the function of the individual parts, of a vacuum-coating system. The functional division is not necessarily visible.
The parts of the functional division are chambers 8 and compartments 9, as illustrated in FIG. 3.
A chamber 8 is a unit with one or more interacting functions within the limits of one or more connected physical system chambers 2.
The chambers 8 of the functional division may also be designated by the designation of the function for which they mainly serve, such as process chamber. Since all the chambers 8 serve for accommodating the vacuum, they may also be designated in general as vacuum chambers.
The compartments 9 may also be named by the designation of their function, for example as a pumping compartment, sputtering compartment, gas separation compartment or the like.
A compartment 9 is a functional unit inside a chamber 8 of a longitudinally extended vacuum-coating system, to which functional unit a function is unequivocally attributed and which functional unit is arranged in succession with other such functional units along the longitudinal extent of the vacuum-coating system. Compartments 9 preferably have an identical length. A compartment 9 may be formed above or below the substrate transport region or so as to include the substrate transport region.
A configuration of a 3-chamber system or a 5-chamber system will be given as an example of a functional division:
A 3-chamber system, as illustrated in FIG. 4, is composed of
a first (functional) chamber 10, to be precise the entry lock C1 (in a physical system chamber 2),
a second (functional) chamber 11, itself composed of                a first transfer chamber C3 (in a physical system chamber 2),        a process chamber C4.1 and possible further process chambers C4.x to C4.n (in one or more physical system chambers (2) and        a second transfer chamber C5 (in a physical system chamber 2), and        
a third (functional) chamber 12, to be precise the exit lock C7 (in a physical system chamber 2).
A 5-chamber system, as illustrated in FIG. 5, is composed of
a first (functional) chamber 13, to be precise the entry lock C1 (in a physical system chamber 2),
a second (functional) chamber 14, to be precise a first buffer chamber C2 (in a physical system chamber 2),
a third (functional) chamber 15, itself composed of                a first transfer chamber C3 (in a physical system chamber 2),        a process chamber C4.1 or possible further process chambers C4.x to C4.n (in a physical system chamber 2) and        a second transfer chamber C5 (in a physical system chamber 2),        
a fourth (functional) chamber 16, to be precise a second buffer chamber C6 (in a physical system chamber 2) and
a fifth (functional) chamber 17, to be precise the exit lock C7 (in a physical system chamber 2).
All the chambers 10 to 17 have to be supplied with different media. Such media are, in particular, a vacuum, compressed air, gases, water, current and data.
The various media supplies are combined wholly or partially, depending on the system. Thus, it is possible to combine the current supply for the entire system and to supply each individual chamber 10 to 17 from this. The chambers requiring a water supply are fed from a central water supply, etc.
The disadvantage in this case is that the media supply has to be planned and adapted individually for each vacuum-coating system, thus resulting in a high outlay in terms of production and installation.
Accordingly, the object of the invention is to lower the outlay in terms of production and installation in media supplies of vacuum-coating systems.